Wright Stuff All Wrong

Yankees 7, Indians 2

Wells Makes 5-run 1st Stand Up

NEW YORK — They were loud when their beloved Yankees were introduced. They were louder when the mug of Darryl Strawberry, their fallen hero, graced the jumbo screen before the game.

But Yankees fans saved their loudest applause for Cleveland pitcher Jaret Wright, reaching a fever pitch when Wright exited the game in the first inning after an onslaught of hits.

In one inning the top of the Yankees lineup addressed the question: How would they fare after getting shut down by Texas?

The answer showed up on the scoreboard in the form of five first-inning runs. It also was evident in the result, a 7-2 win in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series Tuesday night. The victory gave the Yankees 118 wins this season, tying them with the 1906 Cubs for the most in baseball history.

The only thing as impressive as New York's hitting was its pitching. David Wells hurled his second straight postseason gem, limiting the Indians to five hits in 8 1/3 innings, including a ninth-inning home run by Manny Ramirez.

"I was geared tonight," said Wells, who has struck out 16 and walked a pair in two postseason starts. "I really wanted this because if you win the first game, it can set a tone."

Wells had the luxury of pitching with a big lead Tuesday and he took advantage, throwing first-pitch strikes to nine of the first 14 hitters he faced.

"We gave him some breathing room and he didn't waste those runs," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "So many pitchers can get you in trouble with ball 1, ball 2. The Boomer doesn't do that."

"When we get that many runs," the Boomer said, "that should be plenty. Knock on wood."

The Yankees' surge started when Chuck Knoblauch led off the first with a single. Derek Jeter followed with a line single to center. Paul O'Neill drove home Knoblauch with a poke to right. Bernie Williams singled up the middle to score Jeter.

After retiring Tino Martinez and Tim Raines, Wright's wild pitch scored O'Neill for a 3-0 Yankees lead. He then walked Shane Spencer and gave up a single to Jorge Posada. That was all Indians manager Mike Hargrove wanted to see. Wright's start was the shortest since Kansas City's Dennis Leonard failed to retire any of the hitters he faced in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS--also against the Yankees.

As Wright approached the dugout with his head down, the sold-out Yankee Stadium crowd of 57,138 erupted. They were clearly excited by more than just the offensive barrage. In the days leading to Game 1, they had undoubtedly read that Wright had hit reserve infielder Luis Sojo during a spring training game and plunked O'Neill in June.

"They hold grudges longer than we do," Wells said.

Wright's replacement, Chad Ogea, also suffered some damage, allowing an RBI single to Scott Brosius before retiring Knoblauch to end the inning. It was the 37th time the Yankees had batted around in 1998.

The six singles set an ALCS record for most in an inning, and New York's five runs were the most in the first inning of any ALCS game.

All that abuse left the Indians glum. After the game, Hargrove wasn't exactly oozing with confidence. Asked if he'd consider starting Ogea instead of Wright in Game 5, he responded: "If we get to Game 5, we'll consider all of those things."

If?

Perhaps Hargrove realizes what most baseball fans do, that the Yankees look unbeatable. Especially when the top of their lineup produces. And the starting pitchers excel.